


The Moon

by swanfrost



Series: tarot (tokyo ghoul week) [2]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 23:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3268487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanfrost/pseuds/swanfrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Yo Kaneki! What’s with the getup? Is that in style these days?</i>
</p><p>He almost didn’t hear it, almost missed the cheerful, carefree tone, almost missed the soft yet worried smile of his best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moon

**Day 2: Moon**

_a scene that made you sad; illusion; fear_

* * *

 

_Yo Kaneki! What’s with the getup? Is that in style these days?_

He almost didn’t hear it, almost missed the cheerful, carefree tone, almost missed the soft yet worried smile of his best friend. Knee-deep in filthy sewer water, body trembling from insanity or the cold, he didn’t really know, black mask hinged onto his face like a second skin. Inside, hunger crawled underneath his skin like a prickly millipede, and pain howled like a pack of livid wolves; his head throbbed and spun, and his vision was blurred and painted with a tint of red. Blood red. Kaneki almost didn’t hear the voice of the person he’d been missing the most over these past six months.

_Hi…de…?_

But it’s not possible, Kaneki’s ghoul infested mind thinks, it’s not possible, it can’t be Hide, it can’t it can’t it can’t-

_All this time…_

No, Kaneki thinks, breath coming out from under his long, hooked mask in short, painful gasps. It’s not him. It can’t be

_You’ve had to suffer like this…_

Stop, he screams internally, forcing back a sob, and the mad wolves inside him start howling even louder, long, painful songs spiraling up to the blood moon above. Fur bristled, fangs bared, they trample all over his mind, leaving long, jagged claw marks on his soul.

Hide’s voice carries to him, soft and caring, sad and wistful.

_You won’t need it anymore, the mask._

But, he pleads, to himself, to the pain that swirls inside, but it sounds so much like him. It sounds so much like Hide, feels so much like the kindness, compassion, love, companionship, that Hide was and stood for. He falls to his knees, arms elbow deep in the frigid water that laps at his skin. Strangely, he feels so cold, so desolate, that the water doesn’t really bother him anymore. The wet has seeped through his clothes, through his skin, right down to his bones, and every movement is agonizing.

Kaneki doesn’t really care. Inside, there is nothing but confusion, confusion and fear and maybe a tiny bit of hope that Hide is actually standing in front of him right now and everything will be ok. (Because Hide makes everything alright. He always has, Kaneki thinks in a strange flash of nostalgia, and he always will.)

And Kaneki is so, so, so tired of the pain, tired of the wolves that claw through his mind, body, soul, tired of the ghoul (Rize, he thinks) that is slowly eating him inside out.

_It’s not Hide…it’s an **illusion,** a dream… But,,, but if it is,,. then,,, he’ll know…_

He chokes out his thoughts, lets his worries and sorrows spill. I don’t want to loose my best friend, Kaneki whispers to himself. Don’t want to loose him like I’ve lost so many others, don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want Hide to (die).

Hide’s next words pierce through the murky sludge of pain and blood that is Kaneki’s current consciousness like a gleaming blade, slicing through monsters (ghouls) and nightmares. And before Kaneki knows it, Hide’s crouched down in the frigid, grimy water right in front of him, that big, carefree grin lighting up the entire world. (This wrong, wrong, world). As Kaneki can only stare in shock, Hide reaches up and places a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. His deep brown  eyes meet Kaneki’s single black and red one, determination, and sadness, burning brightly.

A flicker of warmth sparks from Hide’s touch, slowly melting down his frozen skin. The fuzzy feeling spreads, down his arm and across his shoulder, spiraling across his torso and curling inside his stomach, shooting throughout his entire body. A single tear drips down his cheek.

_I already knew, man! Who cares about that… let’s just go home already._

It’s warm, Kaneki thinks in a sudden moment of clarity, I’m home.

Just then, the wolves start howling again, ramming against the bars of his mind. In shock, from both the sudden pain and Hide’s (soft, warm, gentle) touch, he recoils, falling backwards, hands clutching the side of his head, fingers threaded through blood-stained white hair. The ghoul inside him starts cackling again, whispering about the fresh, sweet taste of human flesh, and the wolves growl with menace and pace angrily.

 _Run away_ , Kaneki begs, desperate. He doesn’t lift his head; he doesn’t want to Hide to see him in this state of body and mind. But Hide, Hide who always seems to know what he’s thinks, doesn’t move an inch. The boy is smiling a sad smile, as if he knows the end is near.

Go away, Kaneki screams, but an inner voice whispers, ( _don’t leave me alone.)_

And Hide, in his irritatingly close way, seems to smile and promise, (I won’t.)

_Sorry…can you fight with all you’ve got…just one more time?_

And the world fell to darkness.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> this seemed longer when posted on tumblr...*sweats nervously*. tell me your thoughts!


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